Welcome to Westford Academy
th
8
grade Parent Night
Tonight’s Agenda
 Introduction
 Overview of Westford Academy website and
Program of Studies
 Curriculum Coordinators review offerings by
department
 Course recommendation process through iPass
 Closing/FAQs
 Coordinators available for individual questions
Westford Academy website
• Westford Academy website
• Program of Studies 2016-2017
• Freshman Course Selection Link
• Freshman Course Listings Link
Honors or College Level?
Flexible Levels
•English
•History and Social Studies
•Math
•Science
Fixed Level
•World Language
A successful honors student:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Has a teacher recommendation
Has a passion for content
Is very organized
Works independently
Manages a fast-paced curriculum
Participates in class discussion
Reads and understands complex text
Uses evidence to support a claim
Ms. MaryKim Bourdeau
Curriculum Coordinator,
Science Department
WA Science-Grade 9 offerings
Required
–Biology
Elective Option
• Intro to Engineering I and II
Ms. Amy Moran
Curriculum Coordinator,
World Language Department
World Languages
French
German
Latin
Mandarin
Spanish
Fixed Levels
Ms. Janet Keirstead
Curriculum Coordinator, English Department
English
Required:
English 9
Elective:
Journalism I
Mrs. Libby Porter
Curriculum Coordinator,
History/Social Studies Department
Planning for
Social Studies Grade 9
World History II
Choice of Levels
Ms. Cathy Coughlin
Curriculum Coordinator,
Mathematics and Computer Science
• A second math course is an elective
– Doubling up costs you another elective
• Opt-out testing
– Skip Geometry Honors, (Take Algebra 2 Honors in 9th) If
you choose this option you will need to take a math course
off campus your senior year.
• We do NOT recommend opting-out
– Date for test out is March 17, 2016 (2 hour test)
• Contact Ms. Coughlin at ccoughlin@westfordk12.us
– Skip Intro to Programming, (Take Java Honors) this is only
recommended if you have taken a programming course
– Date for this is March 15, 2016 (after school at WA, will
need to write a program)
• Contact Mrs. Trehan at atrehan@westfordk12.us
Mrs. Andrea Mejia
Curriculum Coordinator,
Visual and Performing Arts Department
Westford Academy Theater Arts
Elements of Theater
Westford Academy Visual Art
Foundations of Art/Visual Art I
3D Animation and Modeling
Image Editing
Westford Academy Music
Performance Ensembles
Concert Choir
Concert Band
Orchestra
Dual Ensemble
Applied Music
Intro to Guitar
Piano Lab
Songwriting
Lyric Writing
Electronic Music
Music in Film
Elements of Ukulele
Business/DECA electives
• Many opportunities for grade 9
• Must be enrolled in one half year business
elective to participate in DECA
– Pathways to Business Success
– Marketing
– Management
– Accounting I
– Microsoft Certified Specialist
Course Selection Process
• Review Freshman course listing and
descriptions/prerequisites in the Program of
Studies online
• Complete worksheet with required courses
and 1st choice and 2nd choice electives
• Login to iStudent and complete the following
steps…
Scheduling Worksheet
2016-2017- Grade 9
Go to http://wa.westfordk12.us/pages/westfordwa_progstudies/index for complete guide to
scheduling
COURSE NAME
CREDITS
(full year = 5,
semester = 2.5)
ENGLISH
5 (full year)
SOCIAL STUDIES
5 (full year)
SCIENCE
5 (full year)
MATHEMATICS
WORLD LANGUAGE
(if applicable)
5 (full year)
**PE/WELLNESS (881)
2.5 (half year)
**HEALTH (887)
2.5 (half year)
5 (full year)
Elective #1
Alternate Course
(Electives Only)
Alternate Elective#1
Elective #2
Alternate Elective#2
TOTAL CREDITS
(minimum =32.5, maximum = 35)
In iStudent, enter 881 for PE/Wellness and 887 for Health; enter one alternate
elective for each of your 1 choice electives
If you wish to schedule a DLT (study hall), enter course #5050 for 0 credits.
st
Students build a 7 period schedule. (Six periods meet each day)
EXAMPLE:
Block A
English
5 Credits
Block B
Social Studies
5 Credits
Block C
Science
5 Credits
Block D
Mathematics
5 Credits
Block E
World Language
5 Credits
(if applicable)
2.5 credits
Block F
PE 1st semester
Health 2nd semester
2.5 credits
Block G
Elective(s)
2.5 credits min—5 credit maximum
TOTAL 32.5 minimum, 35 maximum
COMPOSITE)OF)NINTH)GRADE)OFFERINGS))201652017)
Course'Descriptions'available'at))http://wa.westfordk12.us/pages/WestfordWA_guidance/index)
)
MAJOR)SUBJECTS)
)
Your)major)subject)course)recommendations)will)be)made)by)your)8th)grade)teachers)and)will)be)visible)for)
your)review/approval)in)iStudent)beginning)Friday,)February)12,)2016)at)2:00)p.m.)))
)
ELECTIVE)CHOICES)
)
ENGLISH)ELECTIVE)
044'
Journalism'CP1'
'
'
COMPUTER)SCIENCE)ELECTIVES)
350'
*353'
*355'
*358'
Video'Game'
Programming'
Intro'Programming'CP1'
Intro'Programming'H'
Java'Programming'
Honors'
*See$Program$of$Studies$for$pre2requisites*$
)
SCIENCE)ELECTIVES)
480a'
Intro'to'Engineering'I'
CP1'
481a'
Intro'to'Engineering'11'
CP1'
)
)
MUSIC)
)
750'
Concert'Choir'
752'
Concert'Band'
754'
Orchestra'
756'
Dual'Ensemble'
758'
Improvisation'
760'
Intro'to'Guitar'
765'
Piano'Lab'
770'
Songwriting'CP1'
774''
Electronic'Music'CP1'
775'
Lyric'Writing'CP1'
776'
799'
'
THEATER)ARTS)
711'
'
Music'in'Film'
Elements'of'Ukulele'
'
'
Elements'of'Theater'
'
)
FINE)ARTS)
551''
Image'Editing'CP1'
562'
Intro'Movie'Making'CP1'
568'
3D'Animation'&'
Modeling'
2.5'credits' 700'
Foundations'of'Art'
5'credits'
'
2.5'credits' 701'
5'credits'
#706'
5'credits'
#716'
Visual'Art'I'
Painting'
Ceramics'I''
#'preNrequisite'
Foundations'of'Art'
'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
'
'
5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits' 501'
2.5'credits'
)
)
5'credits'
5'credits'
5'credits'
5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits'
'
2.5'credits'
'
)
BUSINESS/DECA)
2.5'credits' 500'
Marketing'1'CP1'
Management'CP1'
'
'
505'
Accounting'1'CP1'
2.5'credits'
507'
Pathways'to'Business'
2.5'credits'
553'
Web'Page'Design'CP1'
2.5'credits'
567'
Microsoft'Cert.'
2.5'credits'
'
'
'
Class)of)2020)–)Graduation)Requirements)
'
'
'
English'
'
20'credits'
Mathematics' '
20'credits'
Science'
'
15'credits'
Social'
'
15'credits'
Studies'
2.5'credits' Physical'
'
10'credits'
Education/
(4'semesters)'
Wellness'
2.5'credits' Health'
'
2.5'credits'
2.5'credits' Technology'
'
2.5'credits'
'
Electives'
32.5'credits'to'include:'
'
'
Visual'&'Performing'Arts,'World'
2.5'credits' '
Language,'Business/DECA'
'
'
PE/Wellness'
Log in to iStudent
•
STEP 1:
Log into iStudent using your username (active user ID) and password. The username is the
same as the username you use to log into Active Directory to access your home folder and your files.
Example: 19lsmith (the year of graduation and (in most cases) your first initial and your last name) .The
first time you log in, your password will be your four or five digit student ID. You will be prompted to
change it to something you can remember and we suggest using your googledocs password. You should
keep this password in a safe place and you should NOT share your password with anyone.
Online Scheduling Process
Click on iStudent
Recommendations
Once you log in, you
will see your current
teachers’
recommendations.
Check
Approved
next to
every
course you
plan to
take next
year.
You must click on this box on the
bottom to acknowledge that you
have reviewed all
recommendations.
Once
you’ve
checked all
of your
choices and
the box at
the bottom,
click on the
Submit
button.
If you wish to
select a
course other
than the one
your current
teacher
recommende
d, do not click
on Approve.
Instead, enter
the number of
your choice
down below.
In this
example, the
teacher
recommende
d Latin II, but
the student
wants to
switch to
Spanish I.
After you
click submit
at the
bottom, the
screen will
show
Spanish I
Approved.
Latin II not
approved.
Electives
• Electives are courses that students choose to
take.
• Electives are available to give you the
opportunity to explore areas of interest.
• Enter your elective choices and include
alternates in case your first choice electives
are not available.
• Electives available to incoming 9th graders are
listed on the scheduling worksheet.
Click on the
magnifying glass
to look up a
course ID
number.
Students entering
Grade 9 will have
one or two first
choice electives.
Enter the course
ID # for your 1st
choice elective.
Click +Add if this is
an elective you
wish to request.
Be sure
you
choose
electives
that are
available
to 9th
graders.
Although the screen says “Please Select 6,” incoming 9th graders pick no more than
two electives and two alternates. Use scheduling worksheet to determine choices so
that total credits are a minimum of 32.5 and a maximum of 35.
Enter your
one or two
first choice
electives
here and
click Submit
The first
choice
electives
now
appear
Next to
the first
choice
entry,
click on
Add
Alternate
Type in course
number for
Alternate or
use Search
button to
select, then
click Submit
Alternate
now
appears
for first
choice
elective
Now click
on Add
Alternate
to left of
second
elective
Example of
completed
electives;
two first
choice
electives
and
alternates
for each
Final Steps
Some FAQs…
• How involved should I be with my child’s course
selections?
• How many honors course should a student take?
• Is there summer reading? What is the timeline on
that?
• How much homework can students anticipate
nightly?
• When will students get their schedules?
• How can my child prepare now for success in high
school?
Questions?